When you’re a teacher (or at least for me), summer is similar to the “New Year” where I set goals, explore new ideas, work on passion projects, plan for the upcoming school year and grow my art business; all the while trying to get a tan (lately it’s been “operation get a tan with 75spf becuase I’m old and don’t need any more sun damage”). This year is no different except I get a bit of a head start as today is my last day teaching until Fall. I’ve been in a temporary position for the past twelve weeks but fortunate to be hired permanently at the same school in the Fall. Pretty excited to say the least! I do love my job. I hope everyone has a chance to say that at some point in their life. If you don’t right now, I urge you to work toward those goals because loving what you do…..it’s such a great feeling.

With that said, I have big plans this summer. Yes we are going on a two week beach vacation (CAN NOT WAIT) but I use that time to paint, seek out inspiration, and consume every nerdy teacher or business book I can get my hands on (or my earbuds on …. because…..Audible obviously).

I’m sharing my goals with you because I find that when I put them out there, I’m more likely to hold myself accountable. Any other teachers out there?? What are your goals this summer? Artists, do you use the nice weather to explore new ideas and inspiration? What are some of your summer goals?

Goal 1: Create….a little something every day. Whether it’s a painting or some art content to share with all of you, I will be in my creative space everyday.

Goal 2: Focus. This year I’ve had ideas flying out the wazooo. I wanted to tackle them all and was a bit too hard on myself when I didn’t hit deadlines or goals. I planned and did in fact create two eBooks, and the outline of two online courses. I went to shows, exhibited my work, and focused on growing my social media presence I’ll be honest, it was all a bit overwhelming. I don’t know that I did any of those things as well as I could because I wasn’t putting my all into any one of them. I think I need to slow down and focus on one or two big ideas that set my soul on fire. Stay tuned to find out what those will be. In the meantime, I think focusing is a realistic goal.

Goal 3: Be present. My little guy is two and growing up faster and faster everyday. The park, the library, all the things he loves to do needs to be in/on the schedule no matter what. In the evenings, technology is off at 8. No excuses. Obviously I don’t mean Netflix with the hub. That stays on. Don’t be crazy.

Goal 4: GET MY BUTT BACK TO THE GYM! DId you guys know that skinny fat is a real thing? It’s me. I’m that.(Insert streaming tears emoji). LOL. Muscles? What muscles? Chicken legs? Bock bock…right over here. I’ve never heard that before in my life….until now. Fortunately, I’ve always been pretty good with nutrition so I have that going for me but oh man, the only thing I’ve lifted is a glass of wine lately. A healthy, strong creative is a productive creative. Don’t you think? Time to get serious.

Do you set goals in the middle of the year? Do you set goals for each season? I want to hear what they are so feel free to comment below!

My blog hasn’t been getting a lot of love lately so I’m here to show it some today. :) Here’s a glimpse of what I’ve been working on. Jellyfish watercolors on canvas, a birthday party, florals, and of course keeping squirrelly middle schoolers engaged in the spring. Ha! I don’t blame them…it’s gorgeous outside!

I also want to invite everyone to my upcoming reception on May 4th! If you’re local, stop by! Xo.

I’ve been making art for a long time but recently, it’s been harder and harder for me to talk about my work in an elegant and confident way. Isn’t that strange? I think it’s because I have so many different ideas, my focus isn’t always clear, and I’m always trying to improve. Anticipating some events where I will be showing my work in the months ahead, I decided I needed to sit down and truly unpack my work so that I could regain the confidence to articulate my process, my subject matter, and how they compliment my unique style.

I started by browsing the website of one of my favorite artists to follow. Emily Jeffords. If you aren’t already following her, you should go do that now. She’s a mom of three, a successful painter, and truly inspiring in so many ways. Her landscapes are soothing, her watercolors are simplistically gorgeous, and she centers her love for art around the process. I can totally resonate with her hashtag and message #doitfortheprocess because it’s actually the first piece of my WHY.

So, let’s talk about that first. My WHY. I have simplified my WHY to three main categories (I know, three main categories doesn’t seem simplified, but it is to me). :)

CREATE. CONNECT, and INSPIRE.

The process of creating is what I love. Connecting with others through my work (a sale, an experience, a conversation, etc.) is what establishes a lasting relationship with collectors, students, or followers. Finally, I have built a career around inspiring others through art. I’m an art teacher and I’ve said it many times, I don’t think I could be an fine artist without also being an educator. To me, they go hand in hand.

Now that my WHY is established, let’s start to unpack my work. I don’t think anyone would take me seriously if I were at my own solo show and said, “I like to paint because it makes me happy.” LAME.

Crickets… right? I mean, “I like to paint jellyfish because I think they’re cool?” Oh man…I need to step up my game because I’ve actually said something along those lines before. IN PERSON YOU GUYS. TO ANOTHER HUMAN BEING ASKING ABOUT MY WORK. I need something better and I need it to fly out of my mouth with zero hesitation and every bit of confidence. I’m able to write about my work, but talking about it is very different because writing gives you more time to process, revise, and think it through. Every day, I teach my students to dig deep into what they are creating, to talk about it, write about it, ask questions, and all I can come up with is “I like to paint?” LOL. I’m giggling to myself right now because it seems so ridiculous.

I started exactly where I would ask my students to start...with the elements and principles of art. The elements of art are line, shape, color, texture, space, form, and value. The principles of design are repetition, pattern, contrast, variety, rhythm, unity, emphasis, movement, and balance. Some say there are ten principles, some say there are seven, these are the ones I’m thinking of off the top of my “art teacher” head but that’s not the important part of this discussion. I went through and thought about each of the elements and principles and how they most often show up in my work. Here are a few of findings…

LINE. Line is my favorite because my lines dance. I LOVE dancing...but I don’t dance. Let me rephrase that...I love to WATCH people dance. I think it’s one of the most beautiful art forms and I wish I had even a quarter of the talent I see in dancers. Music is always on in my house, or in my classroom but It’s rare you will find me dancing...unless I’ve had a couple glasses of wine (obviously not alongside the classroom music)...and even then, I have no rhythm and look like I love Lucy here. I’ve unfortunately bestowed that talent on my son too. Ha! Wait til’ I find a video for you guys. In all seriousness, I blast some music and dance with the lines and marks in my artwork. Each mark is truly intentional...even when I’m getting loose. No dancing pun intended...I mean loose with my brush strokes. When you see my work in person, be sure to look close.

My color palettes often represent that of coastal subject matter, water, or nature but I have a serious love for lime green. Although not always present, I add it in whenever I can. I’ve never had a lot of patience so I don’t always plan or mix my colors ahead of time, I usually apply them to the paper and see what happens to each layer and then adjust accordingly. While my watercolor paintings are often vibrant, my acrylics tend to be slightly darker with pops of bright white. I study trending color palettes to explore in my work while I strive to keep my work current. I want to connect with my ideal audience; the everyday art collector. I’ll dig deeper into my ideal client in a future post.

Space. Nope, not talking about Jupiter here…artists need to consider how they are using the space in their composition. I’ve found that I’m not afraid of negative space. In fact, I try to make sure I’m just as aware of what’s happening throughout the negative space as I am in the positive. Artists should always consider what is happening in the negative space and how it effectively balances the composition. With that said, I’m working on a series exploring subtle pattern within the negative space and interested to see where it takes me.

Moving on, the principle of design I come back to again and again is movement. If my lines dance, and my marks are intentional, movement is clearly emphasized. I intend to move the viewer’s eye around my painting by adding the perfect balance of complimentary colors, emphasizing shapes in just the right location, and always drawing the eye in close with interesting and detailed line work.

Now that I’ve identified how some of the elements and principles are represented in my work on a surface level, I also need to be able to articulate the story behind each piece. I need to ask myself; what am I most passionate about and how do I express it visually? This was surprisingly easy when I really sat down to think about it. It’s not world-changing, jaw-dropping, or utterly brilliant, but it’s me. Here it goes...

In a world that can be over-complicated, I want my work to represent the joy in simplifying things. Whether it’s the subject matter, the process, or the color palette. Simply doing it for the process as Emily Jeffords would say, is exactly why I make art. I want my collectors and viewers to find joy in my work; a similar joy to what I feel when I’m painting. Whether it’s the colors they are attracted to, the way it relates to an experience they’ve had, or maybe it simply compliments that perfect piece of furniture. It doesn’t have to be complicated. If there is no underlying meaning, that’s okay. I’ve come to terms with the fact that I may not always have an awe-inspiring story while other artists do. I always thought my work was lacking in that respect, but it’s not. I redefine a simple subject through my own interpretation of line and color. It’s my art full of beauty in its simplest form.

On a more personal level, the movement of my brush is therapeutic, I get lost in mixing and layering colors, dancing with my lines, and losing myself in the process. I’m a busy mama of one, hopefully two one day with a supportive and encouraging husband and full-time job. I have a creative outlet that I love and am so thankful I was blessed with talent and ability to pursue this dream. I encourage all of you to sit down and unpack your work once in awhile...even if you’re just starting out. What elements do you find are showing up most often in your work? How does it make you feel? What do you want the viewer to see? What excites you? … Most of all, be excited about whatever it is you find.

MOMS, DADS, TEACHERS, STUDENTS, KIDDOS, EVERYONE!!! Do you like to color?

This is probably nothing new BUT…I thought I would point a few things out that I’ve researched and more importantly learned over the years being an art teacher.

Benefits for Kids:

They will ditch the device for a while. Screen addiction is a real thing. Lets be honest, who is addicted to their screen as an adult? Just think what kids are going to experience in a world where EVERYTHING is online and accessible.

Promotes focus and concentration. In a world where stimulation is everywhere. It’s nice to promote a more relaxed state of mind.

Can improve handwriting. They are tasked with staying in the lines. This focused manipulation of the medium (the crayon or colored pencil) is a skill.

Gives them confidence. Especially when you showcase their work, ask them questions, and praise them. Having a little art gallery at home is a great way to showcase artwork. Check out my Pinterest board for some display ideas.

More accepting of criticism and guidance. When they make mistakes, help them learn how to improve. Show them.

Benefits for Adults:

Ditching the device! < As I mentioned in the kid’s column, we all need to unplug for a while.

It can reduce stress because you’re putting your mind in a meditative state focusing on the present act of coloring. Making marks on your paper, choosing colors, and experimenting with techniques.

It travels well. Take your project to the beach, to a coffee shop, wherever you want really.

You can color WITH your kids!!

You can fill some empty wall space with your masterpieces or repurpose them in creative ways. Look HERE.

Did I convince you that coloring is beneficial? If so, embark on a coloring journey WITH ME! Here is some information about my latest ebook. It’s A COLORING BOOK!

***For personal use only. If intended as a gift, please only gift this ebook once. After that, please share it via this product link so your friends and loved ones can support my small business just as you did.

Add To Cart

﻿

I’ve been teaching Visual Art for almost ten years and adult workshops for almost six. It’s quite often that I hear “I’m not creative, or I can’t draw, I’ll never be able to create this like you can.” I get it. In fact, I believe you…for now...but what I love about art and creativity is that like anything else with teaching and practice, it can be learned. If you’re willing to learn more about harnessing your inner creative, I think you’ll be surprised with how much joy it brings. As a mom and a teacher, I see how important it is to instill confidence in creativity in your children. Here are some tips…

For Adults:

Commit to learning a new skill...and forgive yourself when it doesn’t look like the instructor’s example. It’s about the process and learning the techniques to find your own original style. My ebooks might be a fun place to start. Check them out!

Coffee..Let’s be honest, you need a little pep in your creative step. Don’t drink coffee? HYDRATE. Have a huge glass of water maybe with a little zing of lemon. I find it’s always great to have some upbeat motivating music on as well. A solo dance party or moving your body is a great way to boost those endorphins.

Collaborate and interact with others. Sometimes all it takes to inspire you is a cup of coffee with a fellow creative or someone whose creativity you admire. Are you local? If so, find “Frederick Creatives” on Facebook. We would love to have you!

Dedicate a space in your home free of distractions and schedule a time for “creating” into your day. Collect things to store in this area. Art supplies, magazines, stencils, pens, pencils, paint, glue, and books. “Creating” can mean anything….coloring, drawing, painting, stamping, knitting, writing, journaling, … the list goes on. Check out some of my favorite supplies.

Find inspiration on social media. However, I will sincerely warn you...BE CAREFUL NOT TO COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS. I know this is easier said than done but the fun of being creative is to see what YOU are capable of. Learn from others, find what you are attracted to, and maybe even read “Steal Like an Artist” by Austin Kleon. It’s an incredibly fast read and I’m pretty certain you will enjoy it.

Here are a couple other books I love to get those creative juices flowing…

For Kids:

Kids also need a dedicated space with a variety of supplies. Don’t forget to include things they can build with too!

Expose your children to the world. I don’t mean plan extravagant vacations, I mean take them to the playground, to a museum, to storytime at the library...anywhere they can interact with other children, use all of their senses, and experience the world around them.

You know all that art and writing they bring home from school? Yes, the neverending pile of school projects you don’t know what to do with? DISPLAY IT! Showcase it in a creative way. I have lots of pins on this topic. Check out my Pinterest board for creative and interchangeable display ideas. Make a big deal out of it and ask questions. Let them tell you the story of how it was created, what inspired them, explain the original assignment, etc.

Avoid managing their creative projects. I know, easier said than done right? “No, no this goes here.” Ever catch yourself saying that? Go ahead and let them make the mistakes and teach them later (if they’re old enough to understand of course).

Read stories. Lots and lots of stories. Take it a step further and talk about the illustrations in those stories as you go. Here are a few of my favorites.

Each page was hand-drawn and scanned in with zero digital modifications. It’s raw, un-edited, and I can’t wait for you to work through the pages with me. Yep…I said WITH me. I will be posting my own coloring pages in progress with tips, tricks, and techniques you might want to try. Oh, and of course some DIY repurposing projects, color palette inspiration, and more.

Ultimately, this coloring book is a collaboration between two artists. YOU…and ME. So let’s do this!

***For personal use only. If intended as a gift, please only gift this ebook once. After that, please share it via this product link so your friends and loved ones can support my small business just as you did.

Add To Cart

XO.

Oh, and P.S. Check out my next blog post (this evening) where I discuss the benefits of coloring. If you aren’t already convinced coloring books are awesome, you will be later. :)

My students got a sneak peek and a chance to color a few of the pages. Check out their work in progress!

Pinterest and I are in a serious relationship. We are going on 12 years together I believe. Recently, I’ve been looking at studio inspiration. I love my little space but I need to open it up a bit. Here’s what I’m thinking…

So how does this work again?? What the heck is Colorwater Studio? Why does she keep talking about this? LOL. I can’t keep up.

Let me break it down…Colorwater Studio is my virtual studio. I talked about it a bit in a previous post. I will be posting tutorials, visuals, inspiration, links to other artists, and much more RIGHT HERE IN MY BLOG. If you purchased one of my ebooks (Watercolor Projects or the Jellyfish Coloring Book (AVAILABLE MARCH 1) you will learn from these posts and apply what you’ve learned to the ebook projects. Make sense? If it doesn’t, click here so we can chat. It’s basically a place for me provide information in real time without having to create a 367 page ebook. :) Because I can talk about this stuff all day!

Although the information provided by Colorwater Studio will be closely related to the projects in my ebooks, you can certainly learn from and enjoy it without having purchased either.

HAPPY MAKING! … and don’t forge to use #ColorwaterStudio and tag me in your work @LindsayElizabethArt.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

If you attended my workshop last night THANK YOU! I had a fantastic time with all of you and I hope you enjoyed yourselves. If you didn’t get to attend this one, don’t worry there will be more in the future. Stay tuned to my social media (Facebook and Instagram) and sign up for my newsletter below so you don’t miss out!

Acrylic Paint - Acrylic paint works best. You don’t need expensive paint when you’re starting out. This set is very similar to the ones we used at my workshop. If you want to splurge on a higher quality paint, I recommend Basic. Basic is my favorite everyday acrylic paint. I use it often. When I’m creating the highest quality piece I go with Golden fluid acrylics (they are more like ink and can produce great work.

Brayers - Squirt paint directly onto your gelli plate and use brayer to spread it over the surface. If you’re using a foam image, squirt paint onto a separate palette and coat your brayer first before spreading it over the foam.

Stencils - Stencils will be placed in between the paint filled surface of your gel plate or foam image and your paper.

Paintbrushes & Other soft tip materials for mark making

Scissors & Glue

Foam - This self adhesive foam is the best to create mono print designs. Cut your foam into shapes to be adhered to a cardboard base.

Cardboard - Use cardboard scraps as a base. Cut and paste foam decor on top.

Bubble Wrap - To add pick up paint and add texture.

Crayons - For later mark-making or coloring on top of the dry paint. I linked to twistable because they’re AWESOME!

Sharpies -Try some fancy lettering on top! Make sure your paint is dry.

Baby Wipes - To wipe off your gelli plates or foam surface. It’s not necessary to clean off your surface in between prints. Paint residue can contribute to pleasing results.

Paper Towels

You might be asking yourself… How can I use printmaking? This is the fun part!…

First of all, anyone in your family can do it. It doesn’t require much “skill” per say, you simply want to make good color choices. Here’s a great website on basic color theory. I send my students here quite often.

DIY gift tags - Use an existing tag as a stencil and cut your own out of all those lovely prints you made.

Cards - Have you been to (insert high priced greeting card retailers here) lately? Why in the world am I going to spend $5 on a card when I can make a bunch of them myself. I know I would much rather have a handmade card any day. The ones that start singing when you open them are quite startling don’t you think? Ha!

Collage -Cut up your prints and use mod podge to adhere them to just about any surface.

Gift Bags You can buy plain white or craft paper bags and print directly on them for some more personalized gift giving.

Make your own wrapping paper :)

Check out my Pinterest board for a HUGE selection of printmaking activities for you and your whole family. <<< THIS IS A MUST SEE. So many cool ideas i’ve never even thought of. What would we do without Pinterest?

Below are some photos of last night’s workshop at Olde Mother Brewing. The artist couples in attendance were awesome! I loved some of the “working together” conversations that were going on. Thanks again for supporting my small business and love for educating others on the possibilities of art and creativity. Xo!

Yes, I consume coffee (a lot of it), pizza on Friday nights (it’s a bad habit I’ve adopted), and well, I love a great red wine. But that’s not the type of consuming I’m talking about. I’m talking about consuming KNOWLEDGE! If you’re anything like me you LOVE LOVE LOVE a good book. Since I’m a mom and wife who tries extremely hard to be present in the evenings when I’m home with my family, I don’t have a lot of time to sit down and open up a book unless my hubby decides he wants to be a nerd like me and we do it together. With that said, :) Audiobooks have been my saving grace lately. I can listen on the way to and from work, while I’m painting, and at the gym.

So what am I consuming?? I read everything from art to business, to education, to nutrition, to personal growth, etc. If it’s a hard copy, I’m typically skimming, marking pages, and taking photos of important parts on my phone. I keep those images in an “Inspiration folder” of photos…more often than not, it’s so that I will back and read it thoroughly when I have time. If it’s an audiobook, I’m tuned in whenever I can.

Recently, I’ve been listening to/reading…

Simon Sinek “Start with Why” - This book has been a game-changer so far. I’m less than half way through it and can’t put it down. Make sure you have a notebook nearby because you’re going to be planning, reflecting, and inspired to thoroughly define your creative business or career. I think it speaks to educators as well because you are the leader in your classroom.

Rachel Hollis “Girl Wash Your Face” … and don’t worry I’ve already preordered “Girl, Stop Apologizing” … do yourself a favor and definitely go with the audio book of this one. Her narration is genuine, motivating, and incredible if you ask me. I never would have done this book justice in my own voice.

Elizabeth Gilbert “Big Magic” - great book for creatives from all walks of life. I think this one is a few years old but SO GOOD. I have pages marked, notes in the margin, and I even share a lot of it with my students.

As far as heath and wellness goes, I kind of love it. After following her for a while on social media I decided to grab Kelly LeVeque’s “Body Love.” The was she explains the science behind what you should be fueling your body with is so easy to understand. Like LIGHTBULB! Duh! Why do we make it so complicated?

This is my “teacher favorite”…

Any educator out there who haven’t read “Teach Like a Pirate” by Dave Burgess? If you’re living under a rock, please click that link and go get it! It completely changed my teaching four or five years ago and I continue to implement his creative an engaging strategies each year. I think it will always be one of my favorites because he gives you tangible strategies you can use tomorrow!

Let me know if you grab any of these books so we can be awesomely nerdy and chat about them! Just hit reply.

Saturday Freebie just doesn’t have the same ring to it. Haha. Oh well!

In anticipation of my full Jellyfish coloring book release, I want to give you a page for free. Color it, frame it, post it on the refrigerator, whatever…just have some fun and show me the end result. Either post it in your Instagram stories and tag me in it @LindsayElizabethArt or show the whole world in a REAL post using hashtag #ColorwaterStudio.

Will it be a mom and kiddo collaboration? Does dad want to unwind with some coloring at the end of the night? (I just chuckled as I wrote that but you never know). :)